Knights of Evangelion
by KamiNoShi
Summary: Shinji becomes a member of an ancient order. SxR OR SxA.
1. Prologue

Authors' Note: It is to be noted that this fic is made in a combined effort. My friend, "Shikei", can be credited with the primary concept of this fic, as well as a number of scene concepts and so forth, while I, KamiNoShi, have done all of the writing, and some concept of my own. Aside from that, I have no other noteworthy things to mention, so all I can say is "enjoy".

To the Reviewers: Special thanks goes to that anonymous reviewer who informed me of my lack of a disclaimer, I honestly had forgotten, and appreciate the tip. I also appreciate all of my reviewers, and relationship voters. I also appreciate the respectful criticism, as it tells me what I can look into on improving.

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, Star Wars, or any aspect of the two.

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

Inside the headquarters of the secretive organization of Gehirn, a four-year-old Shinji Ikari wanders the corridors as his mother and father execute an experiment elsewhere in the building. 

As he explores the corridors, he begins to take notice that the lights grow dimmer as he wanders deeper inside. He decides to go into a door as he passes it, acting more on random decision than conscious choice.

Upon entering he sees very few notable objects. The room is as dark as the corridor, with a few computers and chairs distributed about it. As he scans the room he takes notice of a girl of around his age. He steps toward the girl and slowly begins talking.

"…Hi."

The girl turns to him and stares. He had never seen such an odd looking girl before. Her hair was blue, and her eyes were red. Her skin was as pale as the moon. His first thoughts cycled around the idea that she may be an albino, but intuition told him otherwise. There was more to it than that. The girl finally gives a response to his greeting.

"Hello."

Curious, as children always are, Shinji starts a simple conversation.

"My name is Shinji, what's your name?"

"Rei."

"Nice to meet you Rei-chan."

"Shinji… that's the name of the director's son isn't it? Shinji Ikari?"

"Huh? You know my father?"

"Yes."

The conversations continued for a while, until Shinji is called back via the PA system. He politely says goodbye to his new friend and leaves. As he rushes back to the control room his parents were in, he wonders what they need him for. Deep in his subconscious he knew something was wrong.

The motion-sensing door opens for him as he runs for the control room. He gets in and sees that everyone looks really sad. He cocks his head and looks at his father, Gendo Ikari.

"What happened?"

He quickly notices a detail he had overlooked, his mother was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Mom?"

Gendo looks down at the boy grimly and walks out of the room. He never told Shinji directly about what happened that day, but he did have his friend and right hand man, Fuyutsuki, tell him the story. About how his mother had died in a freak accident when the experimental Eva reacted with her. How she disappeared without a trace.

Gendo takes his son to the Tokyo-3 train station, telling him that he is going to go visit his uncle for a while, in truth, Gendo intended to make the uncle Shinji's legal guardian. Before the train even pulls in, Gendo walks away, leaving young Shinji watching his father walk away. He turns back when he hears the distant noise of the train. He sees a woman standing across the platform from him, wearing an odd robe.

Meanwhile, Shinji's friend, Rei, steps into the research room of Gehirn's most prized scientist, Naoko Akagi. Naoko turns to the little girl.

"What are you doing all the way down here Rei? Are you lost?"

The girl remains silent. Naoko continues.

"I'll take you back to Commander Ikari."

"I don't need your help, Old Hag."

Naoko looks at the girl, shocked, and patiently responds.

"That isn't a very nice thing to say to someone. Do you want me to tell the Commander that you've been misbehaving?"

The girl innocently replies.

"But the Commander is the one who said it."

"What?"

"That Old Hag is worthless. There is no use for her."

Naoko was now rather angry. As the girl continued speaking, Naoko saw an image of Gendo's deceased wife, Yui Ikari, saying those same words. She stands up and grabs Rei by the throat, strangling her. Just as she does so, a security guard opens the door, notices the scene, and stops Naoko. She is sent to prison for attempted murder and child abuse.

A police car rushes past the train station as the woman walks toward Shinji. Shinji turns to the car quickly to see Naoko Akagi only briefly before the car turns a corner. He turns back to see the woman now right in front of him. He backs away a few paces and looks up at her.

She appeared to be a rather young woman, probably younger than twenty-five, with black hair. The length of her hair isn't easy to identify because it disappears into her gray robe. Nothing is notable of her figure either, as the robe also covers that. Shinji, being only four years old, doesn't actually analyze the woman any past her hair and age, however it can be noted that she is a rather attractive woman.

The woman stoops down to look at the boy.

"What are you doing at a train station by yourself?"

Shinji hesitates a bit, but responds.

"My father is sending me away to my uncle's house. I doubt he really wants me back… Is there something wrong with me?"

The woman shakes her head and replies.

"Your father is a fool. An important destiny awaits you, I can tell already."

The woman stands back up and begins to walk away. Shinji, without thinking, calls after her.

"Can I come with you?"

The woman stops and turns to him.

"Come with me? Are you absolutely sure that is what you want?"

Shinji pauses briefly, then nods. She stares at him for a few moments, and then replies.

"I'll have to ask your uncle if it's okay first. I don't like the idea of being arrested for abducting a child."

Shinji's hopes sink immediately. He was almost certain that his uncle would refuse. The train pulls into the station and a man gets out and walks toward Shinji. He looks at Shinji, and then the woman. He stares at the woman for a moment and then turns back to Shinji.

"Hello Shinji, your father wanted you to stay with me for a while, right?"

Shinji looks up at the man and shifts his eyes between the woman and him, reluctantly nodding. The man looks over to the woman.

"I don't believe I was told about you, who are you?"

"Just a friend of Shinji's. You are his uncle?"

The man stares at her in suspicion.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

She calmly replies.

"By Shinji's request, I am asking you to give me guardianship of Shinji."

"To you? I've never even met you before!"

She waves her hand in the air.

"You _will_ give me guardianship over Shinji."

As if in a daze, the uncle repeats.

"I will give you guardianship over Shinji."

The woman nods to him and waves again.

"You will go back home."

"I will go back home."

The man turns around and boards the train, which leaves. The woman looks over to Shinji.

"My train is the next one."

He nods, then asks a question that had been haunting him for a bit now.

"How did you do that?"

She looks at the empty station in anticipation of the train.

"How did I do what?"

"That wavy hand thing that made him say whatever you said?"

She holds back a chuckle and replies.

"It's hard to explain."

"Can you teach me how you did it?"

She looks over to him.

"I suppose I could, but you would need to build experience before you can do that."

The train comes now, and the two board. As the train begins moving, she decides it is her turn to ask a question.

"Shinji-kun… why did you want to come with me?"

Shinji looks up at the woman's face and answers.

"I just had a feeling that if I stayed with my uncle… that nothing good would come from it… That it would be bad for me."

She nods and looks out of a window across the train from her, appearing to be thinking.

"(He is strong to be so observant at this age… He will make a fine apprentice.)"

Shinji suddenly realizes something, and turns to the woman.

"What's your name?"

The woman pauses briefly.

"That's right… I didn't even tell you my name yet… (He's _good_…) My name is Kae. Kae Kaylin."

"Kae Kae Kaylin…?"

She sighs.

"No, Kae Kaylin."

Shinji begins falling asleep as he thinks back to all of the recent events. So much had happened. He wondered how his life would be with this new woman, Kae. He also wondered if he would ever see his new friend Rei again.

Kae awakens Shinji as they near her house. She opens the door and lets Shinji walk in first. He looks around the place curiously. There are a number of large computers along a wall inside, shelves of books and records stacked nearby. He looks outside now, he hadn't seen the surrounding area because Kae was carrying him in most of the way.

It seems the house was surrounded by trees. Either a forest, or just a lot of trees that block the road. He looks back in and realizes why the house seemed so oddly familiar. It was organized like a library. He continues looking around and notices more people in funny robes walking around. Some of the people glance at him, then look at Kae, others are too preoccupied to notice him.

Kae walks next to him now. He looks at her.

"Who are all of these people?"

"They keep track of information here. Everyone here does."

"So you do too?"

"Yes."

"Do they all live here too?"

"Yes, they do."

"Who does the dishes?"

Kae holds back from laughing.

"Your questions will be answered in time, after you get settled and I introduce you to the staff… or at least everyone here right now."

She takes him up a flight of stairs into the second floor of the building. This second floor is where the apartments of the staff are placed. They stop at a room with a tag on the door that reads '13: Kaylin'. Kae opens the door and lets Shinji in.

The apartment is very clean and organized, with a large open space in the middle of it, for some unknown reason. The space is rather large, partially due to just how minimal the clutter is, but it is a naturally large apartment anyhow. She walks past him, holding his things.

"The place is a bit out of order, sorry. I'll get your things ready as soon as possible. But first, let's go downstairs and introduce you to some people."

The people in the place weren't like most other people. They didn't swarm the small child immediately or anything. They continued with their assigned tasks and only spoke with the two once they were spoken to first. Shinji met the four who were there at the time: Katsumoto, Kururugi, Kinomoto, and Uematsu. Nice people. A bit odd, but nice.

Kae, after introducing Shinji to the staff, takes him back to the apartment, talking to him.

"I suppose you have many questions at this point. I will answer a few of them now, the rest will be answered in time."

Shinji looks at her as they walk up the stairs.

"What's with the funny robes?"

"That's what we wear."

"Who's we?"

"The people in our order."

"What are you? A religion?"

Kae chuckles.

"In a sense I suppose we are. We are the Gray Jedi."

"What?"

She looks over to him.

"The Jedi are people who are Force-sensitive. There are three types of Jedi."

"Three?"

"Right. There is the Jedi, the Gray Jedi, and the Sith."

"What are the differences?"

"The Jedi are the 'standard' order. They are fools that think that hiding in their little corners of the universe, thinking that they can learn by staying in these little holes."

"Cowards?"

"Yes, in essence. They aren't as bad as the Sith, because at least they can control themselves."

"How bad are the Sith?"

"The Sith are separate from animals solely because they are sentient. They are obsessed with testing their strength constantly, until they are on the brink of destruction. They have nothing but anger, and a consistent urge to kill accompanied by a extremist form of social Darwinism that consumes the whole lot. They are beasts."

"…And the Gray Jedi?"

"Well… while both the Jedi and Sith have respectable intelligence… in their own respects, the Gray Jedi are well beyond them in knowledge. We gather information about the world, as well as the force, and use it to enlighten us. We refuse to run away from the Dark Side, or hardship, but do not let our emotion become a crutch… or a dominant force."

They are now at the apartment door. Shinji takes in all of the information as Kae opens the door and walks in. He continues his inquiry.

"So what is this 'Force' you keep mentioning?"

She turns to him and smiles.

"The force is… energy. It surrounds all living things, and forms bonds between them. Certain beings can sense the flow of the Force. These are called Force Sensitives. All Jedi, regardless of which of the three types they are, are Force-Sensitive."

"Is it hereditary?"

"That's a question that cannot be answered definitely. Force sensitivity is a trait that people are born with randomly. There is no Force sensitivity Gene. Children who have at least one Force sensitive parent are more likely to be born Force sensitive, but there is still a chance that someone with no family history of Force sensitivity be born Force sensitive."

"Am _I_ Force-sensitive?"

"To be quite honest, I wouldn't have brought you here if you _weren't_ Force-sensitive."

There is a brief silence, which Kae breaks.

"I think that is enough questions for now. Your training will begin tomorrow."

As she walks away he calls after her.

"You're going to train me to be a Gray Jedi?"

She stops and responds without turning.

"You asked me to, remember?"

As the training starts, Shinji is presented with a number of different forms of training.

His first type of training was meditation. He sits in the middle of the large, open space in the apartment with Kae. Kae instructs him in the ways of focusing.

"Relaxing your body and mind are key to standard meditation, but there are other applications for meditation, such as combat."

"How can you meditate in combat?"

"Combat meditation is generally considered more difficult, but is actually rather simple. You clear your thoughts and focus almost completely on reflex. When you receive more experience in meditation and combat, I can teach you."

With that, the two meditate. Shinji has trouble at first, but begins to adapt. Quite a feat it is, to be four years old and sitting still, much less calming your mind and body.

A couple of weeks pass and meditation is still a daily exercise, but not a primary focus. The primary focus is now education. Reading mainly.

A year passes, and daily exercises, both mental and physical, are performed. Meditation and education are emphasized, but muscle and stamina build are also pressed. As one conversation went on about it, Kae told Shinji the importance of such practices.

"You must read to become intelligent, so that you can anticipate actions, and be able to perform in more than just the Force. You must exercise your body regularly so that you can use speed when necessary, strength when necessary. Physical ability is just as important as the Force, as there are times when you may not be able to use the Force. And… many Jedi use the Force as a crutch. I do not wish for you to fall to such a fate. The Force is a tool in your arsenal, no more, no less."

"And meditation?"

"Don't be foolish, you know well the use of meditation."

"No master, it's not that… I mean, why must I meditate during the physical exercises?"

"Ah. That is a valid question. I'm relieved that question was your intent, and not the other…"

"I'm young, master, but I'm no fool."

Kae smiles.

"Good point. There are many times when you will need to resort to violence, only a fool like a Jedi would believe otherwise. When the moment for violence or intense danger arises, it is important to keep your mind in a calm, orderly state, rather than run around madly, screaming about how you're going to die."

"Was that a necessary visual?"

"No, but I liked that one… Anyway. Meditation while running is merely the beginnings of combat meditation. It is a necessary skill for you to learn."

"Yes, Master."

One year later, Shinji, now six, begins basic combat training along with the other apprentices of age six. He is first taught how to hold a weapon, which he thought was a rather pointless lesson, considering how simple it is. The lesson included such 'state-the-obvious' comments as: "Whatever you do, don't hold it by the blade", and "The sword is not to be used as a sex toy.", which was completely out of line, considering the six year old audience. By the end of the lesson, Shinji had developed a nearly unconditional disliking of the instructor. An idiot named Vrook.

After these basic lessons, sparring was implemented, as were combat meditation lessons. One particular sparring match ended in Shinji being utterly defeated after he had become angered by his opponent. Both children were scolded, Shinji for succumbing to his anger, the other for taunting his opponent. Kae is the one that talks to Shinji about his failure.

"I had anticipated something like this would have occurred. Now is the time that I need to begin teaching you of emotions. Anger, like the Force, is a tool. Like all tools, if used improperly, Anger can cause more bad than good. You must learn to control your anger. Not to suppress it, or deny it. You must also work to not give in to it, so that it won't envelope you. If you turn to your anger to frequently, or learn to embrace it, you will lower yourself to a Sith's level, and all of this training will be for naught."

"Yes Master."

"I will teach you a method that you can use to separate yourself from your stress and anger. It is difficult, and you must realize that the emotion will still be there, it just won't cloud your thoughts. Be sure not to become apathetic trying to learn this technique, as apathy is worse than death."

"How so?"

"At least the dead feed the plants."

"…Charming thought."

"Now, let us begin your training."

Shinji learns this technique many times faster than Kae had anticipated, though this was mainly because he had her as an instructor, whereas she taught herself the technique off of an ancient Jedi record.

After a while, Kae begins insisting that Shinji take up a few hobbies, so that he can practice moving meditation in ways other than combat. Shinji chooses food preparation, which surprised Kae, and the Cello.

Shinji's training in all areas continued for many years, after a while, Shinji begins to think of Kae as not just a Master, but as a Mother figure, though he never voiced such thoughts. Unbeknownst to him, Kae felt a much similar feeling toward him, as if he was the son she never intended to have, but is glad to have nonetheless.

Training continues in all of these areas for many years, until, one day…

"You have a letter, Shinji."

Shinji turns to Kae, who holds a rather formal-looking letter in her hand.

"A letter for me…?"

He grabs the letter, opens it, and reads it. He closes the letter and places it on the table. Kae looks at him, concerned.

"What is it?"

"…It's from… Mister Ikari."

"That fool? What does he want?"

"He wants me back in Tokyo-3 for something 'important'."

"Hmm… It is probably a waste of time, but perhaps it is worth considering. We should meditate on this."

Kae and Shinji did meditate. They sat there for hours until a decision came to them… Kae speaks first.

"Your past is unresolved, and must be confronted if you are to complete your training… however, it is your decision. Do you _want_ to go?"

Shinji thinks for a minute.

"Do I want to go? No, I do not. However, I feel that I should go."

"There are many challenges that will await you in Tokyo-3… Are you sure you are ready to confront them?"

"I am confident in your teachings, Master."

"I'm not asking that. I'm asking if you are confident in yourself."

"…I believe that this is my only opportunity to test whether I am or not, and that regardless, if I do not pursue this opportunity, I have failed myself."

"…Very well then."

She walks out of the room and comes back with what would appear to an average person as random pieces of junk. She places them in front of Shinji.

"These are parts to a lightsaber. This is the symbol of the Jedi, whether light, dark, or gray. All of the pieces are assembled here, save for two. You need to find a focusing lens, and a focusing crystal on your own. It is best if they are made of things that you identify as your own."

Shinji looks at the parts and takes them. Kae also takes out a katana and places it in front of him.

"This is so that you may continue your training. It will also prove a useful weapon until you can complete your lightsaber."

Shinji takes the katana and looks at her.

"So I must build a lightsaber and resolve my past?"

"Yes, this is your final test. There may be other things that you will need to face along the way. You must trust your instincts, keep this principal close to you. Also, remember, there is no 'try' with the Force. You either do, or you don't."

"So then… I take it you won't be coming with me."

"Correct. My responsibilities here tie me down, so I cannot come with you. I will visit you occasionally however. Picking up a cell phone might be a good idea."

"I'll look into it."

After some small preparations, Kae goes with Shinji to the train station. As the train pulls in, she hugs him.

"Stay safe, dammit."

With that, she pulls away. Shinji bows and steps onto the train, looking at Kae through the window until the train departs. She turns away and heads back toward the library.

"May the Force be with you."

* * *

Authors' note: As the 'or' in the description applies, there are two possibilities in this story. Rei, or Asuka. When you submit your review (Which we really hope you do ;;) it would be nice if you could also cast your vote as to which you would prefer. You will begin to see the developments of the votes as the story progresses. 


	2. Arrival

ARRIVAL

Shinji, now fourteen, waits at the Tokyo-3 train station. He looks at the message he had received from his contact. He looks around for the person matching the picture attached, but doesn't see any purple-haired people.

"…I _know_ I'm not late… Nor am I too early."

He sighs and sits down in a nearby bench.

"This 'Misato' is extremely late, and I really am starting to have a bad feeling about this."

A loud booming noise comes from nearby. Shinji stands up and looks over to see a huge creature that he had never seen before. As it passes out of sight, he stares blankly at the scenery.

"That does not bode well either."

A car drives in and stops near him. A rather nice sportscar to be a bit more specific. The driver's window rolls down, and Misato looks at a piece of paper, then at Shinji.

"Um… This will sound _really_ stupid… but…"

"(This should be entertaining.)"

"Are you Shinji Ikari?"

Shinji looks disappointed, he was hoping for her to say something stupid. He looks at her questioningly.

"What makes you think that _I_ am Shinji Ikari?"

"You see, that's why this is kinda stupid… you see, all I have to go on is a description. 'Black Haired Japanese Male, age fourteen'. This is not exactly a stand-out description in Japan…"

"I suppose it isn't. Yes, I am Shinji Ikari. Major Katsuragi then I assume?"

"Call me Misato."

"…Very well."

"Get in the car."

Shinji nods and sits in the passenger seat of the car. He looks around the car curiously. He hadn't been in many cars before, and, as another motive, he wanted to know more about this odd woman. Misato drives away from the station. As she gets onto the road, she speaks.

"So… why a robe?"

"I assume you are talking about the robe I am wearing, right?"

"…Yes."

"It is part of my order."

"Your… order…?"

"That is not something I am willing to go into further detail about."

Misato remains silent for a while. UN airships appear in the sky. Misato and Shinji stare at the ships as Misato stops. She looks confused.

"The UN? What are they going to do?"

Shinji grabs her shoulder.

"Get down."

"What?"

"They are going to drop a very powerful explosive. I suggest you take cover."

"Powerful explosive…? Shit! An N2 mine!"

The two get out of the car and jump into a nearby ditch. The shockwave of a large explosion sweeps past them. After some dust clears, they stand up again and get out of the ditch to see the car tipped over. Misato sighs.

"I just had it repaired too…"

Shinji walks over to the car and flips it back onto its wheels. He turns back to Misato, who is staring in surprise.

"We have no time to waste, I suggest you get in and drive."

"…How did you…"

"Nevermind that, get in."

They get into the car and take off again. Shinji looks over to Misato.

"Just got it repaired? I take it this happens often then?"

Misato laughs nervously.

"Well the thing about that is…"

She trails off, seemingly on purpose. She speaks up.

"What do you know, we're here."

"Isn't that convenient."

"Did you get your NERV ID from your father?"

As she turns to him she sees a NERV ID immediately in front of her. Shinji speaks.

"I received an ID from a mister Ikari. I have no father."

Misato smiles and takes the ID.

"Aren't we harsh."

She gives him a book titled 'Welcome to NERV'. He flips through the book quickly, then looks over to her.

"This is a load of garbage."

"Did you even read it?"

"Page three, paragraph four, sentence number one, 'NERV's purpose is to prevent the Third Impact'."

Misato's eyes widen. Shinji continues.

"It does not say how a Third Impact would occur, nor how one could prevent said event."

"Are you done?"

"Page three, paragraph four, sentence number three, 'NERV's secondary purpose is to eliminate the Angels'. Now, I assume that friendly creature we saw not too long ago was an Angel. The UN was launching a near-nuclear powered weapon on this Angel to no avail. One must assume then, that an organization made to destroy such creatures has some type of superweapon, no?"

Misato remains silent as he continues further.

"The manual does not state anywhere that such a weapon exists. This would be what could be called a coverup. That or we are all screwed."

Misato, still stunned, decides to test him.

"Are you sure it doesn't say anywhere in there?"

"In all two-hundred and thirty-four pages, none of the seven million, five-hundred and twenty one thousand, four hundred and two words mentions such a weapon."

"…How…?"

"I was raised in a library. Speed reading is very helpful."

"Raised in a library?"

"Yes. A military organization that doesn't have a record on me?"

"We have very limited records on you. You basically disappeared. All we know is that you live with Kae Kaylin. The only thing we know about her is that she has a mailbox in the inner city's post office."

The Geo-Front comes into view. Misato continues.

"They'll want to evaluate you. Probably a psych test, physical, and education level. Judging from what I've seen, physical and education should be rather simple."

"Are you insinuating that I am mentally unstable?"

"…Um… no… I just don't think that a psych test would be simple…"

Shinji looks at her doubtfully.

"We should be getting out of the car now, shouldn't we?"

"Huh?"

"You can't multitask well can you? We've been in a parking ramp for three minutes now."

"Oh! Right! Just wait here for a minute."

She gets out of the car and picks up a phone. Shinji sighs.

"And she's my superior…"

She gets back into the car. Shinji stares blankly.

"I assume that was supposed to do something. Or are you just in the car again because you feel like it?"

"Be patient."

The two are silent for a while. Nothing happens. Misato sighs.

"Oh for the love of God… Why is it taking so long?"

Shinji begins thinking as the parking ramp begins sinking.

"Clever elevator… Wait… now I feel stupid."

"What?"

"Bio weapon."

"…Come again?"

"The super weapon. It's a bio weapon, right?"

"…What makes you say that?"

"The book mentions biological scientists and engineers. Also, there seems to be more than enough qualified labor for such a project. It would be common sense to assume that a biological weapon be created from an organization made of mainly biological scientists."

The elevator stops, and the two get out. They start walking. Shinji looks over to Misato.

"Where exactly are you taking me?"

"Downstairs."

"The elevator is in the other direction."

"How would you know that?"

"Your book is rather handy. There is a map of the first two floors on page fourty-seven."

"…Okay."

"How many floors are there? With an organization like this, one can assume that there are more than just two floors. Correct?"

Misato is silent. Shinji continues.

"So they are classified then. Very well."

They get onto the elevator. As the door opens on their floor, a blond woman quickly becomes visible. She looks a bit surprised.

"You found your way without getting lost this time Misato?"

"Oh be quiet Ritsuko."

Ritsuko smiles, then looks over to Shinji.

"The commander's son, right?"

Shinji looks up at her.

"The Commander has no children."

"You are his child."

Shinji stares at her.

"He stopped being my father when he abandoned me at a train station."

The three are silent for a while. Ritsuko speaks up.

"Time is limited, we need to get you two to the hangar."

The three begin walking down the winding corridors. Shinji speaks.

"The hangar eh? So I'm supposed to pilot something then."

Ritsuko looks over to him.

"What makes you think that you will be a pilot?"

"…That fool, mister Ikari, would never bring me here unless he wanted a favor. I lack the credentials to be a scientist, which leaves me with errand boy, janitor, or pilot. Seeing as you are taking me to a hangar, I can safely assume I am to be a pilot."

Ritsuko stares at Misato. Misato just shakes her head, expecting him to say something similar to that at this point. Ritsuko speaks to Misato.

"Has he been like this from the beginning?"

"Worse. Let me give you an example. He memorized the _entire_ intro booklet within a minute, and then went on about how it is 'obvious' that due to the number of biological scientists and engineers in NERV that we must be producing some type of bio weapon."

"…Anything else?"

"I bet you five hundred yen that if you ask him what he thinks he's piloting that he'd say some sort of biological weapon."

"Ha! I doubt some teenage boy can come up with that assumption based only off of the booklet."

"I'll give you four times the wager if he doesn't mention it."

"You didn't _tell_ him anything did you?"

"No, I know very little of them to start with. Do we have a bet?"

"Hmm…"

"It's only one thousand yen per detail that is accurate."

"Okay, if you truly didn't tell him anything."

"I didn't."

Ritsuko walks up behind Shinji, who had begun walking ahead of the women, as the corridor was simple. She speaks to him.

"What exactly do you think you are piloting?"

Shinji turns to her.

"Judging by your facilities, I would assume a biological weapon of some sort. Considering the size of these Angels that it will likely fight, I would assume that it is around one hundred feet tall, if not taller. For ease of movement, it is likely bipedal, most likely humanoid. Knowing the Japanese, it is probably painted in some manner, possibly as a scare tactic. The cockpit is likely a temporary installation that can be removed, as any non-organic object left inside of an organic being will corrode eventually. The cockpit will likely be full of a liquid to cushion blows, as the kinetic force from being hit by a large creature such as an Angel would be fatal. The liquid is likely breathable, as I highly doubt a drowning pilot would be effective, and oxygen tanks are too inconvenient. Considering that this is a biological weapon, the cockpit is likely in the nervous system somewhere, likely the spine or skull. It is most likely the spine because the skull is too easily severed from the body. Considering the difficulty of controlling an organic being that is many times larger than oneself, I can assume the neural connections would be almost necessary in order to match the expertise of the Angel's movement, which is obvious considering that they live at that size naturally. There must also be some sort of weapon which this thing will use to destroy that energy field that surrounds the Angel, probably a gun, or wavelength of some sort."

As Shinji finishes, he smiles, amused with Ritsuko's shocked expression. Misato walks up to Ritsuko.

"I want my money. Let's see… that's…ten thousand, five hundred yen, Ritsuko."

"…There is no way he did that on his own."

"Believe it or not, he did."

Shinji continues walking, calling to Misato.

"Exploiting a child to make money?"

They continue down the corridor. Ritsuko directs the walking when they reach a branch.

"It's to the right."

Shinji, who was in the front, suddenly slows down.

"Does Rei Ayanami work here…?"

The two women stop immediately. Ritsuko responds.

"…Yes… why?"

"I feel her presence. She is that way."

He points down the other corridor and continues.

"She's in pain."

Ritsuko and Misato look at him, bewildered. The building suddenly shakes. Ritsuko rushes past him, down the corridor she had pointed out.

"We don't have time for this, the hangar is this way."

They pick up the pace now, and finally arrive in the hangar. The first thing Shinji notices is Eva 01.

"…Why purple?"

Ritsuko speaks up.

"Don't mind that."

The lights turn on in a room above the hangar. Gendo Ikari stands in a window up there. His voice is heard through the hangar.

"It's been a while."

Shinji looks up at him.

"Not long enough, Old Man."

Gendo ignores the comment. Ritsuko looks at Shinji, a bit surprised. Shinji continues.

"I assume you want something, right?"

"I want you to ride her."

Shinji raises an eyebrow.

"That sounds like a sexual innuendo to me. I think you have the wrong guy."

Misato uses all of her restraint to not break out in laughter. Ritsuko turns to Shinji.

"Grow up. You know he wants you to pilot the Eva."

Shinji looks over to her.

"So it's called an Eva? Interesting name."

He then looks up at Gendo.

"So you're having children fight your battles for you now, is that it?"

"I'm not here for your barbed comments. Board the Eva."

Shinji stares Gendo in the eye.

"And if I refuse?"

Without hesitation, Gendo makes a call. The door to the hangar opens and a bed is wheeled out with Rei on it. Shinji looks over at Rei, who is bandaged up and writhing in pain. He looks up at Gendo.

"You're a bastard. You know that right?"

Gendo looks at Rei.

"Rei, I need you to pilot the Eva. Our spare is useless."

Rei nods and begins to struggle to get up. Shinji quickly looks up as a steel girder shifts. The girder falls down to the exact spot where Shinji is standing, kicking up dust, and shaking the platform, knocking Rei off of the bed. When the dust clears, Shinji can be seen next to the girder, unharmed. He quickly rushes over to Rei and carefully picks her up. He walks up to the doctor and glares at him.

"What kind of doctor are you? Do the words 'Do no intentional harm' mean anything to you? Perhaps a doctor's oath?"

He hands Rei to the doctor.

"See that she gets medical attention. I will hold you responsible for anything that happens to her."

The doctor nods and places Rei on the bed carefully, and wheels her back out. Shinji glares at Gendo.

"Very well Old Man, I'll pilot your damned machine."

Shinji takes off his robe to reveal that he is wearing a dark gray outfit that appears to be a sleeveless yukata that cuts off at the thigh, with pants and a katana. He takes the katana off and places it on the ground. He then takes off his thick, hard boots. He looks at Misato.

"Let's get this over with."

Shinji is placed in the Eva and looks around. He sighs.

"I still question the coloration. I doubt the ability for a giant purple robot to scare something."

Ritsuko stares dryly at the monitor.

"Shut up and pilot the Eva."

Shinji stares back at her with an expression that clearly mocks hers.

"You have yet to tell me how to pilot this thing, actually. What do I do, pray to God?"

Ritsuko mumbles to herself.

"It couldn't hurt."

She looks over to Maya.

"Flood the entry plug, maybe he'll shut up for a while then."

Maya nods and presses a button. LCL begins filling the entry plug. Shinji ignores the liquid, continuing to breathe. The entry plug is now full. Shinji stares at Ritsuko.

"Charming taste this liquid has. Who was the one that designed this thing anyway? They should be committed."

"Your father made it."

"I don't have a father."

Ritsuko sighs.

"Commander Ikari made it."

"I rest my case."

Misato shakes her head.

"I can't decide if I like this kid, or if he annoys me."

Ritsuko looks at Misato, then at Maya.

"Activate the Eva."

"Right."

Ritsuko looks at Shinji.

"You need to focus now. Close your thoughts and synch with the Eva."

Shinji stares at her.

"You are very lucky that I know what you mean, that is a horrible description."

Ritsuko ignores him. He closes his eyes and whispers to himself as he focuses.

"Past the surface, there is the Force…"

A few seconds pass. Ritsuko is secretly hoping Shinji's synch is low so that she has a means to insult him.

"Maya, what is his synch ratio?"

She looks over to Maya, who stares at the monitor, shocked.

"Senpai… this can't be right…"

"What does it say?"

"It… It says that his synch… his synch is… 115…"

Ritsuko freezes.

"…What?"

"I'm not lying Senpai, it says it right here."

Ritsuko walks over to Maya and looks over her shoulder at the monitor.

"…That… that must be a fluke… a malfunction…"

Gendo looks up at them.

"We do not have time for this. Launch the Eva."

The Eva is sent up the rails on the wall, up to Tokyo-3. The leg restraints release, and the Eva begins falling to its knees. Ritsuko smiles smugly.

"I knew it had to be a malfunction."

She then watches in horror as the Eva uses this new position in order to make itself move at an uncanny speed. He calls to Ritsuko.

"Are there any civilians nearby?"

"No, they have all been evacuated."

"Good."

The Eva does a handstand and pushes itself into the air feet first, flipping around so that it faces head first toward the Angel. It then punches the Angel, knocking the Angel back so that it skids across the ground on its back. The Eva lands and rolls to its feet, rather than falling flat on its face like expected. The Angel quickly fires a beam at Unit 01, which is easily avoided. The Eva's fist begins to glow as if it's on fire. Maya turns to Ritsuko.

"The AT field is focusing on the Eva's hand!"

Ritsuko flashes a look at her.

"What!"

The Eva jumps on top of the Angel, using its right hand to restrain the Angel so that it can't use its beam. It then thrusts its left hand toward the core of the Angel. The Angel spreads its AT field to protect the core, but the field is torn through easily, and the core is pierced. A large explosion flashes in the monitors at the control center. Everyone stares in awe and disbelief at the screen. Misato is the first to speak.

"That… was amazing…"

Ritsuko speaks up.

"I want to know how the hell he did that."

Misato shakes her head.

"I don't know if we'll even be able to figure it out…"

The first thing Shinji does after returning to NERV is visit Rei. She lies in a bed in the infirmary, nearly comatose. Regardless of the fact that she is most likely unable to hear him, he speaks.

"It's been a while, Rei-chan."

While Shinji speaks to Rei, Gendo is talking to Misato.

"Major Katsuragi."

"Yes Sir?"

"You asked to see me?"

"Huh? Oh, right!"

Gendo almost audibly sighs. Misato continues.

"I am requesting guardianship over Shinji."

"Why is that?"

"I don't agree with his request to live alone. Nobody should live alone."

"…Fine. Granted. You are dismissed."

Misato walks out of his office and goes to retrieve Shinji. They arrive at Misato's apartment. Shinji looks at her.

"Is this really necessary?"

"Yes it is."

She reaches for the door.

"Sorry, it's a bit messy…"

As the door, Shinji's expression visibly changes from calm to terrified. It looked as if he was about to have a seizure. She looks at him.

"What's wrong?"

"You… you call this… _this_… a little dirty…?"

"Well, yeah. I'll make dinner, you can get settled in your room."

She points to a door, labeled 'Shinji's lovely suite'. Shinji sighs and enters. He immediately cleans his room, as well as the rest of the apartment. Misato turns around, dinner ready, and freezes in surprise to see the apartment empty of clutter.

"…You move very fast…"

He looks at her.

"Instant Ramen?"

"Yes, it's good for you."

"……I'm cooking from now on."

"No! I'm the guardian, it's my responsibility."

Shinji begins chuckling. He suddenly stops.

"No, seriously, I'm cooking."

"It's my responsibility!"

"Oh for the love of – I'm cooking dammit!"

"I'm cooking!"

Shinji puts a hand up to stop her.

"Okay. I have a compromise."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"…What is it?"

"I'm cooking."

He walks away and steps into his room before Misato can answer. She sighs. Ritsuko calls a few minutes afterward. Misato answers the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"Ritsuko? What is it?"

"How's it going?"

"Well… he's… he's an odd one."

"The Marduk candidates odd? Who would've guessed?"

"Well… It's not _that_. He cleaned my apartment as soon as he walked in the door."

"Your apartment is a sty, do you blame him?"

"He was twitching and shit though! I was about to check his medical record for epilepsy… then I remembered that we have no medical records on him."

"So he's a neat guy, that isn't too bad. If anything, it's a blessing for you to have him around."

"And he _insisted_ on cooking."

"Now that is just a survival thing there."

"Hey! Shut up! My cooking isn't _that_ bad!"

"You've turned instant ramen into a level three biohazard!"

"That was only _once_!"

"…Anyway…"

"There's… also something else…"

"Oh come on Misato! Are you going hypochondriac on me?"

"I'm serious! There's just something odd I can't put my finger on…"

"…I hope you mean that metaphorically."

"Can you stop poking fun at my life dammit!"

"Okay, what is it? You're not coming on to him are you? He's a kid."

"……No… Ritsuko… It isn't that…"

"Okay, I can take a hint, no more shit for the rest of this conversation."

"Thank you… Now listen…"

"Yeah, yeah, what is it?"

"I don't know… you'd probably have to be around him yourself to know what I'm talking about."

"…You're lucky I promised not to say anything."

"Is there any particular reason you called Ritsuko…?"

"Oh, that. I just needed to make sure that you knew that you need to inform Shinji of his transfer to the junior high."

"That? That's simple. I really don't know why you're putting him in there though, he's obviously ahead of the class."

"Yes, well, so is someone else we could mention, but we are doing the same in that case."

"That's different… that person isn't as good at Japanese…"

"Enough. Phones are an unreliable way to keep secrets."

"…Right."

"We also need to perform the physical and psychological exams soon."

"Of course, I doubt his cooperation will be an issue."

"That's good, because doing it the hard way is never fun."

"Don't lie, you know you enjoy the hard way."

"What are you insinuating, Misato?"

"Nothing!"

"Yes… well… anyway, that is all that I can recall that I had to say."

"Right then. Bye."

"Bye."

Misato hangs the phone up and opens Shinji's door. She looks in to see Shinji meditating.

"Shinji."

Shinji answers, no visible interruption to his meditation.

"What is it?"

"You have been transferred to the Junior High School. You start tomorrow."

Shinji sighs. Misato continues.

"I understand any objections you may have, but orders are orders."

"Right."

"Your physical and psychological exams will likely be held tomorrow as well."

"So in other words, I should pack some aspirin for tomorrow?"

"Uh… well… I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

She begins laughing nervously.

"Also, you did a great job today with that Angel."

Shinji is quiet for a brief moment.

"It was not a perfect fight. Reverberations will soon come as a result of my small follies."

"What?"

"You don't mind that. It does not concern you."

"I'm your guardian now Shinji, it is my concern."

He is quiet for another moment.

"I do not believe that the city was as evacuated as Ritsuko was informed."

"…I still don't get it…"

Shinji chuckles.

"It doesn't matter, nothing serious will happen… I think."

"'I think' are not words I like to hear."

"Those are familiar words, though the context is completely different."

"Huh?"

"Another thing I have said that you may as well ignore."

Misato sighs.

"You're being cryptic on purpose!"

Shinji, still in his meditation position, eyes still closed, responds.

"Am I? Or do you just believe that I am?"

Misato grabs her head. Shinji tosses her a bottle of aspirin, not watching his throw, or Misato's location, yet still finding its way flawlessly to Misato. She catches the bottle and looks at it curiously. Shinji explains.

"I thought you might be wanting that."

Misato sighs again.

"Sleep well, we don't want any accidents during your physical."

"Touché."

As she closes his door he calls to her.

"Misato."

She turns to look at him.

"What?"

"Please don't disturb my meditation unless it is important."

She nods and closes the door.


End file.
